Solar panel rack

• US 9,166,521 B2
• Filed: 12/08/2014
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Industrial Origami, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Industrial Origami, Inc.
• Inventors: Durney, Max W., Bell, Keith A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Krycinski, Stanton L
• Application Number:
  US14/563,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20150090680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 316 Days
• Field of Search: 211/41.1, 211/26, 211/26.2, 136/251, 248/237, 521/733, 126/569, 126/623, 298/900.33
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F16B 5/125 one of the auxiliary fasteners is comprising wire or sheet material or is made thereof
• CPC Class Codes: F16M 11/04 Means for attachment of apparatus; Means allowing adjustment of the apparatus relatively to the stand
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/6009 by deforming the material, e.g. by crimping or clinching
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 2025/801 having hollow parts with closed cross-section
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/12 using posts in combination with upper profiles
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/632 Side connectors; Base connectors
• CPC Class Codes: F24S 25/65 for coupling adjacent supporting elements, e.g. for connecting profiles together
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 31/042 PV modules or arrays of single PV cells supporting structures for PV modules H02S20/00
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/00 Supporting structures for PV modules
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/10 Supporting structures directly fixed to the ground H02S20/30 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/30 Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment
• CPC Class Codes: H02S 20/32 specially adapted for solar tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/10 Photovoltaic [PV]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 10/20 Solar thermal
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/47 Mountings or tracking
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/50 Photovoltaic [PV] energy

Abstract

A solar panel rack may comprise a vertical support, a transverse support, brackets attaching hollow beams to the transverse support, and brackets configured to attach solar panels or solar panel assemblies to the hollow beams. Internal splices may couple collinearly arranged hollow beams in the solar panel rack. Some or all of these components may be formed from folded sheet metal blanks comprising bend lines predefined by bend-inducing features formed in the blanks. Preformed slots, holes, or other openings in the sheet metal blanks may predefine the relative positions of various components in the solar panel rack and predefine the positions of solar panels or solar panel assemblies to be supported by the solar panel rack. Individual components of the solar panel rack may be useful in other structures and applications apart from solar panel racks.

Claims

1. A solar panel rack comprising:

at least first and second hollow sheet metal beams arranged side by side and in parallel with each other to define a plane, each hollow sheet metal beam having a closed configuration of side walls along its longitudinal axis defining a hollow cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis;

a transverse support comprising two or more notches located in its upper edge;

two or more first sheet metal brackets, each first sheet metal bracket having an outer cross-sectional shape substantially conforming to an inner cross-sectional shape of a corresponding notch in the transverse support, having an inner cross-sectional shape substantially conforming to the outer-cross sectional shape of a corresponding one of the first and second hollow sheet metal beams, positioned in the corresponding notch in the transverse support, and attached to and supporting the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam at least partially within the corresponding notch in the transverse support;

one or more second sheet metal brackets, each second sheet metal bracket having an inner cross-sectional shape substantially conforming to the outer cross-sectional shape of a corresponding one of the first and second hollow sheet metal beams, positioned on and attached to the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam, and configured to couple to a solar panel or solar panel assembly to position and attach the solar panel or solar panel assembly to the solar panel rack in a desired location in the plane defined by the first and second hollow sheet metal beams;

a third hollow sheet metal beam arranged collinearly with the first or the second hollow sheet metal beam and having a closed configuration of side walls along its longitudinal axis defining a hollow cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis; and

an expandable and collapsible hollow sheet metal beam having a closed configuration of side walls along its longitudinal axis defining a hollow cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal axis, the expandable and collapsible hollow sheet metal beam configured to be bent along predefined bend lines to assume a partially collapsed configuration, inserted while in the partially collapsed configuration into adjoining ends of the collinear hollow sheet metal beams, expanded to a configuration having an outer cross-sectional shape conforming to and tightly fitting an internal cross-sectional shape of the collinear hollow sheet metal beams, then attached to both of the collinear hollow sheet metal beams to splice the collinear hollow sheet metal beams to each other.

2. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, and third hollow sheet metal beams is formed by bending a sheet metal blank along bend lines predefined in the sheet metal blank by bend-inducing features.

3. The solar panel rack of claim 2, wherein the bend-inducing features each have a length A and each have a radius of curvature R at each end, where R is approximately a minimum radius of curvature required to prevent cracking at ends of the bend-inducing features upon bending of the blank along the bend lines, and A is less than or equal to about 6R.

4. The solar panel rack of claim 3, wherein A is greater than or equal to about 2R.

5. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, and third hollow sheet metal beams is formed by bending a sheet metal blank comprising preformed tabs and slots configured to secure the sheet metal blank in a hollow beam configuration upon bending of the blank into the hollow beam configuration.

6. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein each of the first, second, and third hollow sheet metal beams is formed by bending a sheet metal blank comprising preformed slots or other openings configured to predefine the locations at which solar panels or solar panel assemblies are to be attached to the solar panel rack.

7. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein the transverse support is formed by bending a sheet metal blank along bend lines predefined in the sheet metal blank by bend-inducing features.

8. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein the transverse support comprises flanges forming side walls for the notches, and the side walls of each notch are attached to opposite sides of one of the first sheet metal brackets positioned in the notch.

9. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein the transverse support is formed by bending a sheet metal blank comprising one or more preformed tabs or slots configured to engage one or more corresponding slots or tabs in one of the first sheet metal brackets to at least partially secure the first sheet metal bracket in position on the transverse support.

10. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein each first sheet metal bracket is formed by bending a sheet metal blank along bend lines predefined in the sheet metal blank by bend-inducing features.

11. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein each first sheet metal bracket is formed by bending a sheet metal blank comprising one or more preformed tabs or slots configured to engage one or more corresponding slots or tabs in the transverse support to at least partially secure the first sheet metal bracket in position on the transverse support.

12. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein each first sheet metal bracket extends beyond the transverse support in both directions along its corresponding hollow sheet metal beam and is progressively less stiff with increasing distance from the transverse support.

13. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein each first sheet metal bracket comprises upper flanges configured to be closed around the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam to capture the corresponding hollow sheet metal beam within the first sheet metal bracket.

14. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein each second sheet metal bracket is formed by bending a sheet metal blank along bend lines predefined in the sheet metal blank by bend-inducing features.

15. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein each second sheet metal bracket comprises one or more upwardly pointing tabs configured to contact features on a solar panel or solar panel assembly to position the solar panel or solar panel assembly in a desired location.

16. The solar panel rack of claim 15, wherein the one or more upwardly pointing tabs on each second sheet metal bracket configured to contact features on a solar panel or solar panel assembly to position the solar panel or solar panel assembly in a desired location are located in a square or rectangular arrangement in a central portion of a top panel of the second sheet metal bracket and extend upward from the top panel.

17. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein each second sheet metal bracket is configured to position and attach adjacent corners of four solar panels or solar panel assemblies to the solar panel rack.

18. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein each second sheet metal bracket comprises one or more upwardly pointing tabs configured to be clinched to features on a solar panel or solar panel assembly to attach the solar panel or solar panel assembly to the solar panel rack.

19. The solar panel rack of claim 18, wherein a pair of two clinching tabs are configured to be simultaneously clinched to attach two solar panels or solar panel assemblies to the solar panel rack.

20. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein the expandable and collapsible hollow sheet metal beam is formed by bending a sheet metal blank along bend lines predefined in the sheet metal blank by bend-inducing features.

21. The solar panel rack of claim 1, wherein:

each of the first, second, and third hollow sheet metal beams is formed by bending a sheet metal blank comprising preformed tabs and slots configured to secure the sheet metal blank in a hollow beam configuration upon bending of the blank into the hollow beam configuration and comprising preformed slots or other openings configured to predefine the locations at which solar panels or solar panel assemblies are to be attached to the solar panel rack;

the transverse support is formed by bending a sheet metal blank comprising one or more preformed tabs or slots configured to engage one or more corresponding slots or tabs in one of the first sheet metal brackets and each first sheet metal bracket is formed by bending a sheet metal blank comprising one or more preformed tabs or slots configured to engage the one or more corresponding slots or tabs in the transverse support; and

each second sheet metal bracket comprises one or more upwardly pointing tabs configured to contact features on a solar panel or solar panel assembly to position the solar panel or solar panel assembly in a desired location and one or more upwardly pointing tabs configured to be clinched to features on a solar panel or solar panel assembly to attach the solar panel or solar panel assembly to the solar panel rack.

22. The solar panel rack of claim 21, wherein the expandable and collapsible hollow sheet metal beam is formed by bending a sheet metal blank along bend lines predefined in the sheet metal blank by bend-inducing features.

23. The solar panel rack of claim 21, wherein the one or more upwardly pointing tabs on each second sheet metal bracket configured to contact features on a solar panel or solar panel assembly to position the solar panel or solar panel assembly in a desired location are located in a square or rectangular arrangement in a central portion of a top panel of the second sheet metal bracket and extend upward from the top panel.

24. The solar panel rack of claim 21, wherein each second sheet metal bracket is configured to position and attach adjacent corners of four solar panels or solar panel assemblies to the solar panel rack.